Thoughts on Equanimity

The inner journey is a process of uncovering your inner grace. As Lama Pema, says, it has no end, or as I sometimes tell my yoga students, there is no end point. This journey is what feeds, fulfills, and in turn it provides soul nourishment. From this we then come to a place of grounded awareness. In life, when we come from a place of grounded awareness, we meet the present moment fully. And, here is where we meet equanimity in our lives.

Equanimity in life comes from taking time on our inner journey.

I used to struggle with equanimity as a concept. It seemed like this advanced Buddhist practice that my mind had trouble understanding. Yet, it seemed so important to cultivate and work towards. As I spent this week brainstorming and meditating on my next blog post, equanimity became clear. Equanimity is a gift of the “inner journey.” Taking the time to cultivate an inner journey and “go inwards” has made a difference. The blessing is being able to, most of the time, meet life as it comes.Inner Journey Practice Points

1. If you’re the type of person to enjoy retreating, like myself, possibly find a balance between time spent out in the world and retreating.

2. You may find out that you have some stuff to work on. It’s human. And, even the great masters had stuff.

3. It’s easy to get caught up in the external world especially when unexpected events happen. We can use these moments to practice “going in” by being mindful and aware of what we may need to change within ourselves to respond to life’s events with equanimity.

4. Hang out in your own sacred space, and get to know that place well.

5. No one can tell you how to experience this journey, for its yours alone.